Missing
by Shadow Mortifax
Summary: Samus Aran has gone missing while on a mission to a distant planet. Her son, Cyrus Aran, a bounty hunter in training, is determined to find her. He travels across the galaxy to find her, only to be brought face to face with the thing that destroyed her.
1. Chapter One

**Chapter One**

"Cyrus, can you hear me yet?"

The dual screens flickered as the lone pilot fiddled with the video monitor. The message was coming from over a thousand miles away, and he was having trouble getting clear reception.

That was over an hour ago. Cyrus Aran sat in the MPD III's control room, replaying the recorded portion of that message. He had done this over a dozen times, and he was still hoping to learn something new.

"Yeah, I've got it now." Cyrus watched as the images on the dual screens became clear. In the recording, he was wearing a dark purple wetsuit, which he wore now. His mother claimed it was a Phazon Enhancement Device, made to attract an enhancing element, but he didn't believe her. It was just a wetsuit, and even though he hadn't seen water in 15 years, it made him want to go for a swim.

"Are you ready to record Status Report 009?" Cyrus asked his mother in the video.

Outside of the recording, he studied his mother as she sat in the cockpit of her ship. She was dressed in a full body metal suit designed for space travel. A far cry from the space suits of pioneer astronauts, it allowed for extreme flexibility and customization. Her head was covered with a red helmet, which worked well with the yellow material used for the suit. Most people had never seen her out of her suit, but it wasn't like bounty hunters had much time for themselves.

His mother was Samus Aran and she was probably the most famous bounty hunter in the entire galaxy. She had finally allowed Cyrus to fly the MPD III his own, but still did not allow the 17 year-old to go on missions with her. Instead, he was informed of her progress through hourly video messages.

The last one had come more than an hour ago.

"Well, I have reached the Elysian atmosphere but I am still a long way from reaching the planet." The recording played back as it had for the past hour. At this point in the video, he still knew where his mother was.

"Ok, I've got your coordinates down…" In the video, Cyrus hesitated, confusion furrowing his brow. He suddenly looked up at his mother on the screen. "You disabled the tracking beam, Mom! How am I supposed to -"

"I didn't disable anything," Samus interrupted, reaching for buttons off screen.

Cyrus watched as the recording escalated into a panic.

"Mom, there's something wrong!"

"Cyrus, I've got it. I…oh no, there _is_ something wrong!"

"What is going on - "

"There's something out there, some sort of _asteroid_, I can't tell, Cyrus. I'm heading back, there's no way I can - "

"Mom, what are you saying? Wait, don't do it yet, Mom!"

"Cyrus!"

The recording abruptly ended. Cyrus resisted the urge to play it again. He had seen it enough times to recite it word for word.

It just didn't make any sense. He had been over the charts dozens of times with his mother and even by himself. There was just nothing about an asteroid belt or anything of its kind in the Elysian atmosphere. Cyrus wanted to wait for his mother's next report, but it was getting late. The longer he waited, the more danger his mother could be in, and the less help he would be able to offer her. He considered sending out an emergency signal, but then remembered that it was impossible.

The MPD III had been the first vessel of its kind, a fully operational research facility and extremely fast transport. Unfortunately, it had not been approved by the Universal Research Corporation. Therefore, their research was deemed illegal, and they had spent more than enough time dodging officials who were out to arrest them.

Normally, Cyrus and his mother were against breaking the law, but theirs was a special case. Their research was tailored to a specific element: Phazon. It was rare, valuable, and very important to his mother. Samus had been obsessed with Phazon for years, often visiting dead planets that emitted even the smallest sample of it, just to get a chance to experiment with it. Cyrus had never actually seen any of the Phazon, not in person at least, but he wasn't exactly sure what its purpose was.

A few weeks ago Samus had detected several Phazon emissions from the planet Elysia II, a remnant of a planet she once visited in the past. They had planned the mission ever since then, which was why Cyrus was concerned when things started to go badly with her.

Cyrus glanced at the controls spread out before him. The MPD III was a high tech vessel, with tons of buttons that didn't seem to do much. It hadn't taken him very long to figure out that none were actually needed to command the ship. He reached for a few significant buttons now, and started the recorded Captain's Log that his mother insisted he use.

"You never want to get stuck out there with nothing to go on but your memory," his mother would say as she taught him to pilot the MPD III. "Describe everything you see, because you'll never know when someone will have to play back those recordings once you're gone."

"Cyrus Aran, starting Log Number 205. It's been more than an hour since last contact with Samus Aran, aboard an alternate vessel. She was supposed to check in hourly, and she has missed that check in." Cyrus paused. His mother would never admit it, but he knew she was reckless. That was why she insisted on keeping the logs, even though they were tedious and annoying. Because she knew that if something like this happened and she didn't make it, Cyrus would have at least something to go on if he needed to find her.

Which was exactly what he planned to do.

"Computer, chart a course to the Elysian atmosphere."

The computer responded automatically, and silently. That was one of the things he loved about the MPD III. Most of the other ships in the UPC were run by supercomputers that had personalities and were keen on overriding the pilot's orders. All he had to do was tell the computer where to go, and it went. Tell it what to fix, and it fixed it.

The MPD III was suddenly thrust into motion. Cyrus grabbed the seat's armrest and quickly slipped on his seatbelt. The computer didn't usually move the ship on its own, but he wasn't worried.

It would take him more than an hour to reach the Elysian atmosphere. He settled into his chair, prepared for the long journey.

He had lived on the MPD III for all of his life. The son of a bounty hunter, he did not have any time for living on one planet and going to school. His mother, Samus, had been his teacher, caretaker, and friend. He needed no one else. There were times when he did wish he lived in one steady home, maybe on one of the planets his mother used to take him when he was younger.

_ But there are other people there_, he reminded himself. He had never really been too good around other people; after all, he had lived in a ship for his whole life, and had never really had much experience interacting with them. Cyrus wasn't sure if he'd survive for very long anyway if he was stationary. He was so used to the MPD III's constant movement, that he often felt dizzy and sick when on land.

The ship's lights dimmed. It was always near 11:00pm when the lights dimmed. Something about a tradition on Earth that his mother liked to keep. She said it made her feel "more at home". Cyrus wouldn't know. He had never been to earth.

Cyrus yawned.

As much as he wanted to stay awake, he could not help himself. Years of being put to bed at this time had caused a natural reaction in him. He immediately felt tired, and leaned back in his chair. When he reached the Elysian atmosphere, the computer would wake him. It always found a way to do it, every morning, without fail.

He closed his eyes.

_ Mom, I hope you'll be ok until I get there._


	2. Chapter Two

**Chapter Two**

The sound of the computer's alarm woke him. Cyrus jumped with a start. He rubbed his eyes and resumed command of the vessel. He switched on the Captain's Log.

"I am now here, in the Elysian atmosphere." Cyrus paused as he looked out the massive viewing window. The pilot was the only one on the ship with such a view, and he was grateful for it. As the ship plunged further into the atmosphere, however, he wished he could not see anything at all.

"Asteroids!" he cried, frantically pushing buttons on the control panel. "There are hundreds of them, crashing all around me. I can't see where they are coming from!"

Unlike other planets, Elysia II was unique for having its own special casing around it. Although called the Elysian atmosphere, it was more like empty space covered in a thick fog. Cyrus had never expected to find anything inside of it, though.

"This must have been what Samus was talking about when she spoke of asteroids."

Cyrus considered turning around, but then realized that there was a strong possibility his mother was stuck in the atmosphere. Or if she had managed to get through, then she was on Elysia II. Of course, she would have contacted him, but he would not hold it to her if he found her there, alive and well.

The radar showed that there was little more to the atmosphere before he reached Elysia II, but there were more than enough asteroids to crush his ship. He performed some quick maneuvers, most of them jerky, but sufficient to get him out of the atmosphere

"Ok, I am out of the asteroids and the atmosphere. Things are starting to get a bit clearer now…" His voice trailed as he registered what he was seeing.

In the space where there should have been the planet Elysia II, there only stood piles and piles of floating rock and clumps of earth. Something had happened here, some massive explosion, which had caused the entire planet to explode!

"I don't really know what it is I am looking at here, but it appears that either Elysia II faced some internal crisis which caused it to implode, or it was attacked." Cyrus looked around, but there were no ships in the area. It was possible that hidden inside the floating pieces of rock could be his mother's ship, but he wasn't sure. It would take hours to search for her…unless…

Cyrus searched the buttons on the control panel until he found the one he needed: heat seeking missiles. He didn't actually have to fire the missiles to find a target. If he could just set them up, he would be able to scan the area for any heat. Even if his mother was dead…no, he couldn't think about it. She was not dead, she could not be dead, and Cyrus was going to find her.

It had been a full hour of searching. No luck. Cyrus flipped on the Captain's Log.

"I haven't found anything. Not even a fragment of her ship." He leaned back and rubbed his eyes. "I haven't even found anything. Were there even people living on Elysia II? I wonder what happened there, and if I'll ever be able to find out." He shut off the log and closed his eyes.

When things used to get difficult, his mother would rub him on the shoulders and tell him to relax.

"Stress is not going to help," she would say. "I would know. I spend half of my time visiting strange planets filled with creatures out to destroy me. Then I come here and I find the hardest job waiting for me. Raising you."

She would always laugh whenever she said that, but Cyrus never could. He knew how hard it was on her that she had to raise a child on her own, _and_ continue to take missions from various corporations. He felt he had been a good son. Surely, the two of them had their difficult moments, but they had gotten along well with each other.

Cyrus couldn't help but harbor bad feelings for his father. Whenever he said a bad word about the man, however, Samus was quick to chastise him.

"You didn't know your father like I did, Cy." Her whole face would light up then, and she even sat straighter in her chair. "He was the kindest, most soft spoken man I have ever met. Anthony cared deeply for me, and he devoted himself to you once you were born."

"Well then, if he cared so much, why isn't he still here?" Cyrus would shout angrily. Samus would cross her arms then. It happened like this every time. Then, she would shake her head and continue to chastise him.

"Now, you take that back young man. No man can hold back the hand of death. Not even a man as incredible as your father. I have told you this dozens of times. It was an accident. He fell into the quarry where he was digging."

"That's why I don't want to live on land," Cyrus would mumble.

"I needed to get back into work, Cyrus, you know that. That was why we had to leave."

Cyrus wished he could see her now. He wished they could go through the whole argument about his father, if it meant he could be with her again. He wasn't used to not knowing where she was. Even when she went on missions and got stranded, her ship always sent out a tracking beam that let him know where she was, even if only an estimate. He didn't like thinking that the only person he knew, the only person he loved, might be dead.

It was well into the next day already, at least, by earth time, and he wanted to land somewhere. He needed to speak with someone about Elysia II, to find out what had happened there.

He pulled up an old chart onto the screen. Although more than 3 years old, it accurately depicted the general location of various ports and known planets. Even though new ones sprang up every year or so, you were good to go if you stayed within a five year distance.

The closest port he could see was QZ295. It was almost as large as a planet, but it was noticeably smaller. Made entirely out of metal, it was one of the few ports that needed to supply its anti-gravity equipment. Cyrus was uncomfortable enough on land, but the ports were closer to a ship than anything else.

"Computer, chart a course to QZ295."

The ship slowly turned south and began to move forward. It traveled through the Elysian atmosphere – this time, there were no asteroids, and made it safely through the other side. Suddenly, Cyrus gasped.

He switched the Captain's Log on.

"I have just exited the Elysian atmosphere, heading to QZ295. There are massive asteroids coming from the west. There are heading straight for QZ295. I have decided against landing at the port. The asteroids will reach them in a few moments…"

Cyrus shook his head. There was nothing he could do. Even if he got to the planet on time, there was no way he could evacuate everyone before the asteroids smashed the port to pieces.

If I could somehow follow the asteroids…

Cyrus switched the log back on.

"I have an idea. If I can follow the direction of the asteroids, I will be able to determine the source point. If it is a planet that has just exploded, I can find a way to…"

Cyrus wasn't sure what he could do. He just felt like he needed to do something. There was no way he would find his mother in Elysia II, but he wasn't sure where else to look for her. If she had gotten out, she would have gone straight to QZ295. But that was as good as destroyed now, which meant there probably was no hope for her. He wished it weren't so.

His best bet was to find what was causing these massive asteroids to travel at such a speed and in such great quantities to destroy whole planets.


	3. Chapter Three

**Chapter Three**

The first thing he saw was a bright light. He didn't know how long he had been unconscious. Probably a few hours. Cyrus checked his arms and legs – both still seemed operational. He reached for his seat belt, removed it, and then stood up.

He didn't remember much of the crash. He was tempted to replay the log he had recorded for the event, but his head hurt. There was such a bright light in his eyes that he couldn't think straight.

Cyrus had been following the asteroids, when suddenly he lost control of the MPD III. The ship was traveling at such high speeds that once ground became visible from the viewing window, Cyrus was sure the ship would explode upon impact. Somehow, however, the ship remained intact, and here he stood. Alive.

_This must be how Mom feels every time she survives a crash like that_. Samus was known for her harrowing escapes, and her tendency to survive dangerous situations. He should have felt comforted by this thought, but it didn't help.

The MPD III had been designed much like the ship Samus liked to use on her missions. It had an escape hatch in the cockpit, which made for easy exits. Cyrus pulled down the hatch now, and made his way to the top of the ship.

From the outside, the ship did not look damaged in the slightest. It sat halfway embedded in what appeared to be mud, but Cyrus was sure it wouldn't do any harm to the ship. He landed on this soft mud on his bare feet. He had forgotten to put something on them before he left.

"Well, at least I can get some swimming done with this suit," he said sarcastically. He moved away from the ship, looking around at the strange planet he had crashed landed on. The ground was muddy, and everything was foggy. There were a few trees here and there, but everything else was mostly huge mountains of rock. A puddle of water formed on top of the mud here and there, but it was scarce.

A few birds screeched as they flew overhead. Cyrus instinctively ducked, even though they were nowhere close to him. Harmless looking snakes slithered past his feet.

He wanted to return to the ship a few yards away, to get something for his feet. Even if the snakes hadn't bitten him, he was sure to reach rocky ground somewhere, and he was sure his wet, muddy feet would not be able to handle it safely. He started to turn around, to head back to the ship, when he heard a noise from one of the mountains up ahead.

A deep cavern was dug inside of it, and there was a soft glow of light emanating from it. Maybe someone lived there? Cyrus had not expected to find any living beings on this island, much less humans. Whenever his mother went places, they were always uninhabited by intelligent life forms. Samus would disagree with him.

"You may not consider him intelligent, but Ridley has a mind," she would say about one of her old enemies. He was a dragon of some sort, and he always managed to heal himself after she defeated him and came back, without fail, for a second helping. Cyrus hoped he wouldn't run into anything like that here.

Cyrus decided that the sound was nothing, and turned back to the ship.

"Wait!" Someone shouted from behind him. Cyrus spun around. He wished he had taken a weapon from the ship. Why didn't he think before he acted?

"Who's there?" He shouted. A shadow from inside the cave grew bigger as it drew closer.

"There is nothing to worry about, young man." The voice continued, even though Cyrus still could not see who was speaking. "In a few moments, I will be out there with you, so bear with me, and _don't_ leave!"

"I am going right back to my ship if you don't tell me who you are, right now!" Cyrus yelled. "And when I get back, I'm bringing a weapon, and you'll answer me then, or I'll…"

His voice tapered off as the shadow disappeared, replaced by a living being. It was a man, well into his forties. He stood tall and was very muscular. He wore what appeared to be a cloth on his head which draped over his neck and a small portion of his back. It was held in place by a thick piece of red rope. Small strands of graying hair stuck out from his temples. His face was weathered and heavily bearded. He stopped moving once he got to Cyrus, and he was a full 6 feet in comparison to his own 5' 4". His mother had always teased him about his height, or lack thereof.

The man was shirtless, and aside from the head covering, he only wore a pair of loose fitting blue trousers. They looked faded, as though he had worn the same pair for years. His feet were bare, like Cyrus's.

"So, this is what all the noise was about. You're a short one, did you know that?"

"Hey, I will not have you insulting my height, not until you tell me who you are!"

The man chuckled. "You think you hold the cards here, mister? Well, I have something to tell you." He leaned closer and flashed a broad, white smile. "You've got nothing. You land on _my_ planet, cause a huge mess down here that will take _weeks_ to clean up, and yet _you _demand from _me_." He shook his head. "I am impressed with your courage."

"It wasn't my fault my ship crashed onto your planet," Cyrus said. "I was sucked into your atmosphere and I couldn't handle it."

The man nodded and gave a little grunt.

"I see. Not many people would dare venture to our planet, though, so it would be safe to assume that you were looking for trouble."

"I was looking for my mother." Cyrus shook his head and looked at the man. "Have you ever heard of Samus Aran? Of course you haven't," he went on, "because you live underground in some dumb cave doing nothing but pushups all day."

Suddenly the man grabbed Cyrus by the throat.

"You want to insult me, go right ahead. But I know who you seek, and if you wish to find her, you would do well to calm yourself down."

"Ok, Ok, just let me go!" Cyrus choked out. The man loosened his grip on him, and he gasped for air. The man crossed his arms and paced while Cyrus regained his breath.

"You said you know where my mother is?" he managed. The man stopped moving and placed a hand on Cyrus's shoulder. Cyrus flinched at first, afraid that he was going to choke him again, but relaxed when it was apparent that he was safe.

"A few moments ago, I brought you to the point near asphyxiation. You were spitting, gasping for breath."

"Yes, I was, and what of it?" Cyrus asked impatiently. "You said you knew - "

"I have been given special powers by my people, ones that I could never explain to you." He paused and looked at Cyrus. "I am able to detect if a certain element resides in a human being through contact with their saliva."

Cyrus shook his head, confused.

"What are you trying to say?"

"This element that I seek resides in you. Therefore, you must be one of us."

"That is ridiculous, I have never heard of you, or your people before - "

"We are the Phazeas. And you, young man, _are_ one of us. After all, what led you to our planet, if not the element inside of you? It calls to its true home."

"No, it isn't true, I'm just here to find my mother," Cyrus said. "You said you would help me find her."

"And that I will," the man said, "but all in due time."

"Alright, but first, tell me your name. And what is this element you say 'resides' inside of me?" Cyrus asked. The man smiled then, and stuck his hand out for Cyrus to shake it.

"I already know who you are, young Cyrus Aran." He paused while Cyrus shook his hand. He was surprised by the man's soft grip.

"You can call me Elder Phazeas. And the element that resides inside of you is called Phazon. It is our natural element, here on planet Phaze."


	4. Chapter Four

**Chapter Four**

The two of them walked inside the cave. Along the walls hung torches that gave off enough light to illuminate the cave's narrow corridor.

"I am impressed with you, Cyrus," Elder Phazeas said, glancing over his shoulder. Cyrus looked up at him from behind.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Well, you've taken this all pretty well. You don't look hurt from your crash, and you aren't panicking because you can't find your mother."

"I'm not some little kid," Cyrus snapped. "I can survive without my mother. Unless, of course, she is lost and possibly injured, then I have a problem."

"Ah, you misunderstand me. I was merely saying you are good with keeping calm in difficult situations."

Cyrus nodded. They continued to walk further into the cave. Cyrus noticed that they were the only ones out there.

"So, Elder, can I ask you about your people?"

Elder Phazeas smiled.

"I would be happy to tell you all about us. We are an indigenous tribe, native to Planet Phaze. We have lived here for thousands of years, harvesting Phazon to give us strength and special powers."

"What is this Phazon that you keep talking about?" Cyrus asked. "I mean, I know what Phazon is; my mother spent most of her time on the hunt for it, but I've never actually seen it, nor will she tell me what is so special about it."

Elder Phazeas stopped moving. He turned around to face Cyrus.

"Your mother is a wise woman. She knows the value of Phazon, and therefore she wants its powers. She is not merely trying to harvest the element for herself, though, unlike the others. She needs it for something else."

Cyrus crossed his arms. "That doesn't make any sense. What does she need it for, then, if not to use as a weapon?"

The elder crossed his arms as well.

"Phazon is not only used as a weapon. It has special, regenerative powers, as well as other powers not yet known to mankind." He hesitated. "However, the Phazeas are not human, at least not fully; therefore, we do know the uses of our beloved element. We will not divulge this information to the world, though, for it would be greatly misused."

He abruptly turned and continued walking. Cyrus ran to catch up with him.

"Ok, ok, I'm not here to steal your secrets or whatever. I just want to know why my mother wanted to find it so badly."

"That is not for me to tell," Elder Phazeas said. "However, I can tell you why _I_ search for it desperately." They had reached the end of the tunnel. Before them was a massive circular room, the walls lined with torches. In the center rested a large circular brown carpet, and a single set of stairs led to the upstairs floors. There were at least ten floors, from what Cyrus could tell, and he was sure that even after he reached the top floor, he would still be well underground.

Along the walls were doors, which led into rooms. A quick estimate alone gave twelve rooms on each floor. If Cyrus was not mistaken, there were over…

"120 people live here?" he blurted out. Elder Phazeas turned around and smiled.

"150, to be exact. There are several families living here now."

"But why are they all inside?" Cyrus asked. Indeed, they were the only two outside.

"We have much work ahead of us," the elder said. "We are in a crisis, Cyrus."

"A crisis?"

"Yes," Elder Phazeas led Cyrus to the center carpet. He motioned for him to sit down, and then proceeded to seat himself. Cyrus hesitated before getting on the floor. After he settled down, he waited patiently for the elder to continue with his story.

"We have a major crisis on our hands. Our supply of Phazon is running thin. Once it finishes, there will be no more left in the entire galaxy."

"Is that why we have such trouble finding any Phazon?" Cyrus asked. "Is it because it is running out?"

"I wish it were that simple," Elder Phazeas said, shaking his head sadly. "Our people have limited the trade of Phazon, but there are ways for us to transport Phazon to other planets. If we take over the planet with Phazon, it will now be able to produce the element on its own. This is what we have been doing for the past year and a half.

"The time has come now for us to move from this planet and find one of the planets we took over that is now producing the Phazon we need."

"You need Phazon to survive?" Cyrus asked. "I thought it was just something you traded for money or used as a weapon."

"I told you before that we would not share the details of what Phazon can do to an outsider, even one who emits such high levels of Phazon as yourself, but, the answer is yes. We do need Phazon in order to survive, but not as much as before."

"What do you mean?" Cyrus ventured to ask, but the elder held up his hand.

He stood up.

"I am sorry, young man, I cannot continue further. We must meet with the other elders. I have to show you to them, so we can determine what we are to do with you."

"Do with me?" Cyrus stood as well. "You speak of me as though I am some sort of experiment."

The elder smiled. "We will not harm you, Cyrus. Do not worry. Come, follow me."

He headed for one of the doors below the staircase on the first floor. It was a red, wooden door, as opposed to the stone walls and brown wooden doors of the other rooms. Elder Phazeas pushed open the door gently, and held it open for Cyrus.

"You want me to go in first?" Cyrus asked, hoping that wasn't what the elder wanted.

He nodded, and Cyrus sighed. He made his way through the door and walked down a long corridor. He didn't look behind him, but he heard the elder closing the door softly behind him. Cyrus walked as lightly as he could on his feet. The elder was trying to be sensitive to noise, and Cyrus felt he should follow his example.

The hallway emptied into a tiny room, with just a table in the center. Four men and one woman sat with their legs crossed on the floor around the table. The men were wearing the same getup as the elder, head coverings, no shirts and loose, faded pants. The woman was more modestly dressed in a light blue dress. Her blond hair was pulled into a haphazard bun, and several strands hung out in various angles.

Cyrus did not go further into the room. They were arguing about something, that was sure, but he couldn't hear them very well. He didn't want them to see him, at least, not without Elder Phazeas.

_Where is he?_ Cyrus thought to himself. He turned around, but the elder was still too far behind.

"Come in, Cyrus," a voice said from the table. Cyrus jumped, startled. He turned around slowly.

One of the elders had seen him from the end of the hallway. One by one, the other elders turned to look at him as well. The woman turned, and Cyrus nearly fell over.

"Mom?" He shouted in disbelief. He wasn't sure if he wanted it to be true.

"Hello, Cy." Samus smiled as her son made his way toward her. He had inherited her startlingly green eyes and blond hair, but he had not inherited her radiating smile. Even though he had so many questions, and may have even felt a little fear, just seeing her smiling at him made him feel like everything was going to be alright.

"Mom, what are you doing here? And why didn't you get into contact with me?"

"I'm sorry," she said. He had reached the table, and she stood up to speak with him. She pulled him into a hug, and he did not resist.

"I wanted to contact you, I really did, but there are some things going on here that you don't understand."

"I'm not a little kid anymore, Mom," Cyrus said. "I just traveled through asteroids, watched planets get destroyed, crashed through the mud, and you're telling me you couldn't contact me because of things I don't understand." He pulled away from her. "Am I supposed to take that? Come on, Mom. Tell me what's going on."

Samus sighed and crossed her arms. She glanced at the elders behind her and around the table. They nodded slowly. She turned around and rested a hand gently on her son's shoulder.

"Cyrus, I am sorry. I understand the dangers involved with coming to find me, and I want to sincerely apologize." She hesitated. "I didn't come into contact with you, Cyrus, because I was hoping I would be back before you started to worry."

"If you had sent me a message telling me you were alright, I wouldn't have worried."

Samus sighed again and nodded.

"You're right, that would have made sense, but I wasn't thinking clearly. I was just so concerned…" her voice trailed off and she looked like she was about to cry. Cyrus leaned closer.

"What happened, Mom?" she looked up to meet his gaze, and he knew that something was very wrong.

"I have to tell you the truth, Cyrus, about your father…."

"My father?"

"Yes, Cyrus. I met him here, in Phaze. It was wonderful, we fell in love, and we were married, all in less than two years. You were born and everything seemed like it was going to be great. I gave up on being a bounty hunter, your father was starting to move up in ranks here…everything was going well." Samus looked away. Her voice choked up as she continued. "But then something terrible happened, Cyrus. Your father had his accident and we had to leave but we weren't told, we didn't know…"

Cyrus couldn't understand what she was saying.

"Shortly before you were born, I was exposed to a massive amount of Phazon and survived, while others like me would have been destroyed. However, in order for me to continue living, I needed a steady supply of Phazon. That was the only way I could live."

"Is that why you spent all of my life searching for it? Because you needed it to survive?"

"Yes, Cyrus. Yes and no."

"What are you saying?"

"You needed Phazon to survive as well. I had you checked. You could live longer without it than I could, but you still needed it. I never showed any of it to you, but I did have a large supply in the cargo hold. Our supply was running low after 17years, though, and we needed more."

"But why didn't you just come back here and get some more?" Cyrus asked. Samus shook her head.

"I could never find this planet again. I searched and searched but I never could return. It was only by accident that I made it here this time. There were so many asteroids in the Elysian atmosphere, so I tried to find a way around them. The trail led me here."

"The same thing happened to me, except this time it was QZ295 about to be destroyed, not Elysia II."

"Destroyed?"

"Yeah, I tried to find you in the rubble, but you weren't there, so I -"

"No, no, you said Elysia II was destroyed?"

"Yeah, those asteroids tore it apart, and they were about to do the same to QZ295."

"This is terrible." Samus covered her mouth and turned away from him. Cyrus looked at the other elders. They had been silent during his conversation with his mother, but he had a feeling they weren't surprised by what he said.

"You guys knew this was going to happen, didn't you?"

The elders did not make any movements. Cyrus took that as a yes.

"What are we going to do?" Samus asked them. Cyrus placed a hand on his mother's shoulder.

"Mom, _they_ aren't going to do anything. They knew these planets were getting destroyed, and I don't know if that was supposed to happen, but they knew it would happen." Samus turned around to face him.

"I helped them, Cyrus."

"What are you talking about, mom?"

"I helped them send the Phazon to other planets. I didn't know it would destroy them. We sent it all over the universe…it wasn't supposed to do this."

"Mom, we can still fix this, right?"

"I'm not too sure."

"Yes, you can fix it."

Cyrus turned around. That voice…

"You can fix it." Elder Phazeas repeated, stepping from the hallway and into the room. He stood slightly hunched over, though, as though he was carrying a heavy burden on his back. He walked toward them, never once looking up at them.

"Elder Phazeas…you can help us?"

"I can only tell you that you can stop this." He paused and glanced at Samus and the elders. "This whole process is controlled by a computer down in the Phazon storehouses. Unfortunately, getting into the storehouses may present a problem."

"And why is that?" Samus asked, crossing her arms.

The Elder kept his gaze on the elders as he slowly shook his head.

"There is a guardian in front of the storehouse. One that can tear even the most agile of hunters into shreds before they have a moment to strike."

"What is this guardian you speak of?" Cyrus stepped forward as he spoke.

One of the elders rose from his seat and cleared his throat, commanding all attention. Every eye turned to meet his, and he gave a small, tight grin.

"The guardian we created fifteen years ago when we realized the situation we were in. It is called

VEDO, and it was designed for the express purpose of destroying dissenters and rebels like you."


	5. Chapter Five

**Chapter Five**

They called him VEDO. His initials were irrelevant. He was created as a mining tool, and after a few successful years, he was the only one on the planet mining Phazon.

Elder Phazeas led the way to where they kept him: in what they called "the pit". The pit was the largest deposit of Phazon on the entire planet, and it was here that VEDO did his work.

VEDO was more than a machine. His creators designed him as a circle, with several small tentacles along the bottom. When he rolled along the ground, the tentacles would dive deep into the ground and suck as much Phazon as could fit in the machine.

Unfortunately, VEDO was also created with the ability to adapt. He used the Phazon inside of him to create larger tentacles that could mine Phazon more efficiently, and increase his power. Soon, he equipped himself with stingers that he used to attack those who got too close to him. He stood forty feet in the air, although his main component was only 8 feet in diameter.

"And we're supposed to kill this thing?" Cyrus asked his mother incredulously. They had finally reached the beast, and Cyrus was starting to feel afraid. He had never actually fought any beasts before, and he no experience with a weapon, even if he had said a few things to the contrary earlier.

"Elder, do you have a plan of attack?"

He crossed his arms and stared at the beast. It stood over by a small shed, which Elder Phazeas pointed to.

"That is where we need to go," he said. "Our Phazon storehouses are safely underground, but that shed is the only way to get down there."

"And that is where the device is located?" Cyrus chimed in.

Elder Phazeas shook his head.

"What we need is the key that will turn off the device," he explained. "This key is kept in that monster VEDO as it has been since its creation thirty years ago."

Samus chuckled.

"This couldn't get any worse, could it?"

"Well," Elder Phazeas began. Samus held up a gloved hand.

"I don't want to hear it," she said.

"But what about me?" Cyrus inquired. "I don't even have a weapon on me."

From his pocket, Elder Phazeas retrieved a small, tube shaped capsule. He placed it in Cyrus's open palm.

"Technology is an incredible thing. Just close your palm and squeeze with all your might."

Cyrus obeyed, closing his eyes and squeezing until his knuckles turned white. A slight burning sensation filled his palm, and the smell of smoke rose to his nostrils. He looked down at his hand.

"What is this?" He exclaimed. A broadsword had replaced the capsule, one with a golden hilt and a shiny blade. Cyrus turned to his mother.

"What am I to do with this? I can't even handle a gun much less a sword."

Elder Phazeas laughed. "When VEDO starts to attack, you will see just how good with the blade you really are."

Samus shook her head.

"We have wasted far too much time." She stepped onto the suitcase which lay on the ground beside her. In a manner of seconds, her body was wrapped in a strange orange light. Cyrus smiled. He had seen the transformation of Samus the woman into Samus the bounty hunter plenty of times, but it never ceased to amaze him. He watched as his mother, eyes firmly fixed on VEDO's back, became clothed in the orange full body suit they had worked so hard to complete a few months ago. The metal armor climbed its way up her legs, torso and chest, stopping at her neck. Samus opened the suitcase as the orange haze disappeared and removed a red helmet from within. She set it over her face and turned to her son.

"Let's do this."

Elder Phazeas let out a piercing yell and proceeded to run straight towards the beast.

A loud whirring sound filled Cyrus's ears as VEDO turned it's massive body towards them. Elder Phazeas pulled up short, his cry dying in his throat. The beast lifted one of its massive metal tentacles and slammed it into the ground as it hefted its body around. Samus strode slowly to the Elder's side, with Cyrus following suit. VEDO turned to face them. In the center of its body loomed a large eye, filled with veins and a strange green liquid. A rancid stench reached Cyrus's, and he instinctively covered his mouth and nose. The creature was once alive, this much he could tell, and it had been fused together with metal to create this deadly machine. Cyrus could only wonder what the Elders had been thinking when they made this dangerous monster.

"Samus, you take the flank!" Elder Phazeas ordered. "I will distract him from this side!"

"And what about me?" Cyrus asked. His mother dashed past him to the other side of the monster. Elder Phazeas kept his gaze fixed on the menacing adversary as he spoke.

"When I give you the signal, I want you to climb on it - "

"What?"

"I want you to climb on VEDO and remove the key from the eye."

"That's insane, Elder Phazeas!" Cyrus yelled. The Elder turned from the creature and drilled him with a harsh stare.

"You do as I tell you boy! It is the only way to get the key, and you are the only one small enough to get on top of it without being noticed!" Elder Phazeas gave him a light shove. "Now go, boy, before it realizes that I can do nothing to it!"

Cyrus rushed to one of the monster's tentacles, swinging his sword above his head like a madman. He caught sight of his mother across from him. From her arm had protruded a large weapon–super missile, he presumed–which would do a good bit of damage to the beast. He watched as her arm tracked the creature, led by the intricate visor system they had worked on together. Cyrus nearly fell backwards as one of the tentacles suddenly lifted from the ground. He rolled to the left, narrowly avoiding the stinger as it crashed into the floor beside him.

VEDO let out a shriek as Samus's missile impacted it. Cyrus scrambled to his feet, grasping a groove in the beast's tentacles. He scaled the metal quickly, but was thrown violently when the creature moved again. Cyrus slipped and wrapped his arms around the tentacle, but it was too late. He landed in a heap a few feet away from the action.

Elder Phazeas had produced a small hand gun, and was firing it at VEDO's eye. He seemed to miss every shot though, as the creature did not appear to be getting hurt. On the other side, Samus had rolled into morph ball and was laying a few bombs on the ground beneath the monster. Cyrus curled into a ball and covered his head, waiting for the impact of the blast.

_Boom_!

There it was. Cyrus uncurled himself from the fetal position and looked into the battlefield.

A massive crater had been formed where the metal monster once stood. Samus remained in morph ball and rolled around impatiently in one corner. Elder Phazeas was no where to be seen. Cyrus stood to his feet, and from this height, he could see inside the crater. A gasp caught in his throat.

There lay VEDO, long metal tentacles blown off, nothing more than a large sphere. The eye in the center blinked slowly as Cyrus approached it. Smoke and steam rose from the pile of rubble, but all else was quiet. Cyrus reached the beast, and leaned over the ruins. A small key appeared to float within the eye. Bile crept in the back of Cyrus's throat as the gravity of what he was about to do descended upon him. He closed his eyes, swallowed, and shook his head violently.

_No_, he chided himself. _There is no way you are getting grossed out_. _You_'_ve got a galaxy to save_.

Cyrus reached his hand forward, inching slowly towards the great eye.

"No!"

He pulled his hand back and turned. The desperate yell had come from his mother. She had uncurled from morph ball and was running toward him.

"Cyrus get away from there! There's another - "

Her words were interrupted by a mighty blast. Chunks of earth and metal flew into the sky. Cyrus could barely feel his legs as he vaulted through the air. A scream filled the air; he realized it as his own. One of the walls of the cave drew closer and closer, and he braced his body for the impact.

He hit the wall with a _smack!_ and fell tumbling to the ground. Samus rushed over to his side, throwing off her helmet and cradling him in her arms. He could barely feel anything, though, and his head grew numb with pain. The world started to grow black.

"Cyrus! Cyrus stay with me!"

Cyrus blinked rapidly and tried to lift his head. Elder Phazeas climbed over to his side. He was covered in debris and his hair was matted down with blood. Cyrus felt his eyes start to roll back. He could sense what was happening – he was slipping away from this world and into the dark recesses of his mind. He had never been knocked unconscious before, but the darkness beckoned him forward. If only he would close his eyes, it seemed to say, then he would find rest.

"Cyrus, don't slip away," Elder Phazeas said, reaching for his head. The man rubbed his fingers of his temples, the pain only increasing. Cyrus let out a yell. The pain had woken him up. He shook his head, still feeling too weak to get up. Samus began to cry.

"Cyrus, you cannot die on me," she whispered through sobs.

"VEDO," Cyrus mumbled, unable to open his lips. Samus threw herself on his body.

"No, it doesn't matter right now, what matters is that you stay alive." Samus caressed his forehead and planted a kiss on it. Cyrus felt the darkness cover him again, and this time, he was willing to let it take him away. He closed his eyes.

"But you see, I can't let you die, Cyrus. I'll be all alone. Please, don't make me go through this again. It was enough when I had to leave Tony behind." Her voice had grown into a near whisper.

Elder Phazeas stood up.

"Samus, look at his body!"

Cyrus struggled to open his eyes.

Samus let out a yelp.

"He's turning red!" She exclaimed. Sure enough, Cyrus felt his arms and legs grow hot. His mother rolled off his body and lifted his head. His eyes flew open. Energy surged into his chest and he inhaled deeply. His strength began to return to him.

"What happened?" he managed through his closed mouth. Elder Phazeas knelt beside him.

"Your mother has a most extraordinary gift," he replied, touching Cyrus's shoulder gently. "She has the power to transfer Phazon to other hosts."

"But that is absurd!" Samus cried out. "Because then I wouldn't have had to - "

Her voice trailed off as some sort of revelation dawned upon her. Cyrus lifted himself to a seated position.

"You wouldn't have had to what, mom?"

She didn't answer him, but only looked away, fresh tears springing into her eyes.

"Because then she would not have had to come here." Elder Phazeas rose to his feet. "Samus, I have begun to suspect the true reason for your visit here, and if I am correct, then you owe your son an explanation."

Samus sighed and shook her head. "It doesn't matter anyway," she said. "The key has been destroyed, and with it our chances of stopping the spread of Phazon throughout the galaxy."

"Mom, I want to know. How was I suddenly healed?" Cyrus stood up, leaning against the wall for support, but he didn't need it anymore. He could feel the strength return to his bones.

"I don't see the need - "

"Mom!" Cyrus cried. "You don't think that I should know these things? That I should know why you came here and left me all alone out there? You think that I wasn't afraid of losing you either? When will you realize that I stopped being a little kid a long time ago? When will you just tell me what is going on!" His voice had grown into a yell, and he could hear it echo in the walls around him. Samus shook her head sadly and reached for Cyrus's arm.

"Cyrus, I never meant for you to be left alone. I didn't know that the Elders were planning to manipulate me and start the destruction of the galaxy. If I had, of course, I would not have gone through with it. But you see, Cy, they had something that I desperately needed, and I could not leave here without it."

"Well, what did they have?"

"Phazon, my dear boy."

"Phazon? But why would you need - "

"It was for you," Elder Phazeas cut in. Cyrus and his mother turned to the Elder. He met their eyes cautiously. "It was for you that she risked coming down here, even when she knew they would not accept her."

"What do you know about this?" Samus snapped, stepping closer to him. "The Elder's swore - "

"Ah, but am I not an Elder as well? Do I not know the secrets of the past, even the ones that have chosen to hide in the darkness?"

Samus crossed her arms. "You have nothing to say to me. You don't know what happened back then. No one does."

"Ah, but that is where you are wrong." Elder Phazeas reached into his pocket and pulled out a small medallion. "You have seen it before, no?"

With a trembling hand, Samus grabbed the object from his palm. Cyrus did not have a clear view of it, and his mother quickly closed her hand before he could get a better look.

"How did you get this?"

"It was given to me," Elder Phazeas replied. Samus shook her head.

"That is impossible," she said. "I gave it to Tony before he died."

"Yes, indeed you did, but," Elder Phazeas took a step forward, clasping his hands on her shoulders. "I did not die."


	6. Chapter Six

**Chapter Six**

Samus took a step away from the Elder.

"You cannot be Tony. You are not him. Tony is dead."

"Yes, that is what everyone thought." Elder Phazeas shook his head. "Unfortunately, or should I say, fortunately, the pit I had fallen into was full of Phazon. I absorbed it into my body, but I did not die. Instead, my body adapted to the new material, and I became more powerful than I could have imagined."

"But that is absurd!" Samus cried. "You don't look like my husband."

"Time has had its way with me," he said. "Besides, you do not look much like the woman I married, but it is undeniable that you are Samus Aran."

"So you are saying that all of this time, you have been alive, and no one ever told me? The Elders sent me away - "

"Those blasted Elders do not know what they are doing!" Elder Phazeas (as Cyrus could not bring himself to think of him as his father) spat on the ground. "They locked me away in the hospice chamber for six months, telling me that my wife was safe and that she had miscarried our child. For years I believed that lie. For years I worked with them to create this vicious beast, VEDO, to continue stockpiling our resources."

"But if you had only been exposed to Phazon when you died–fell into the pit, why does Cyrus need Phazon to survive?"

"What?" Cyrus exclaimed. "I need Phazon to survive?"

"Finally, she tells you." Elder Phazeas shook his head. "Yes, Cyrus, you do need this precious mineral in order to survive, as do most who live here. How you were born with that need, I have no idea. I can only imagine it comes from your mother."

"From me?" Samus asked.

Elder Phazeas nodded.

"You have an uncanny ability," he began. "You can channel Phazon from the ground into anyone you so desire."

"So I didn't need to spend those years searching for it endlessly."

"Is that why we were always looking for it?" Cyrus asked. His mother nodded.

"It was probably because of this gift Elder–that he was talking about that I was able to find so much of it."

"Mom. Did you really do that for me? Put your life on the line like that?"

"Of course, Cy. I wouldn't want to lose you. Not like your - " She couldn't bring herself to say any more.

Elder Phazeas cleared his throat.

"Cyrus."

"Yes."

"This isn't over. VEDO may have been destroyed, but we lost the key in that explosion."

"I am sorry," Samus whispered. Elder Phazeas shook his head.

"No worries. We will find a way to fix this, I know we will."

Samus smiled a distant smile, almost as though she had recovered a lost memory.

"I believed you were dead. How can we ever?"

She didn't continue. Elder Phazeas shook his head. Cyrus watched, feeling awkward. Elder Phazeas walked forward and wrapped his mother in an embrace. He had seen her with a few guys in the past, some of whom had tried to make advances on her, but she had never relented. She never told Cyrus this, but he felt that she was waiting. For what, he could never be certain. But now, as he watched her melt in the Elder's embrace, he knew that she had been waiting for this moment. She had been waiting to fall into the arms of the man she loved once again. Cyrus choked back tears as he watched his parents share an embrace in the midst of the chaos that surrounded them.

A low rumbling broke this wonderful moment. Cyrus felt the ground shake beneath his feet and instinctively reached for his mother. She gripped his arm just as a chunk of earth fell from below his feet.

"What's going on?" He shouted as she pulled him closer to herself. They backed away from the hole and Tony peered inside.

"It is as I feared."

"What does that mean?" Samus asked, coming over to his side. He glanced at her, then at Cyrus.

"The foundation of this part of the cave is growing weaker due to those explosions you set off.

"Okay, so does that mean anything to us?"

"Yes. We can get into the resource room through here."

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Samus dropped to the ground and swung her legs into the hole.

"We need a plan," Tony replied, putting his hand on her shoulder. "You can go down there, but without the key, we have nothing."

Cyrus looked into the hole. If his mother hadn't acted quickly, he would be at the bottom right now, probably dead in combination with his earlier injuries.

_But wait_, he thought. _I was completely healed of those injuries_.

His eyes lit up.

"Mom, I think I know how to stop this."

Both of his parents turned to him.

"What?" Samus raised an eyebrow.

"You have an idea?" Tony inquired from her side.

"Yes, but it is kind of risky." Cyrus crossed his arms. "I can go down there and absorb all of the Phazon into my body as it leaves the machine."

"That is out of the question." Samus climbed to her feet. "There is no way - "

"Mom, don't you see? It is the only way to stop this thing."

"Cyrus," Tony stepped forward. "If you try to do this, there is a strong possibility that you will not survive."

Cyrus' face turned white. "But didn't you do the same thing? You survived, right?"

Tony shook his head. "Yes, Cyrus, but I am from this planet. It is in my genetic makeup to need this mineral. You are a mere human; you will not be able to handle to amount of Phazon that will enter your body."

"But, Tony, he isn't a normal human." Samus turned to her son, tears welling in her eyes. "You have your father's blood in you, Cyrus." She cast a pleading glance at Tony, who looked away. "That has to count for something."

"Your mother is right." Tony shook his head and rubbed his forehead. "I have already reached the capacity for Phazon absorption. That is why I have been able to help some of the others with this process."

"You've taught others how to absorb Phazon?" Cyrus asked.

Tony nodded.

"It is not as simple as it may seem. It requires a great deal of concentration and patience–if you are to do it right, that is."

"Time is of the essence here, Tony," Samus said, standing to her feet. "We don't have time for meditation or anything like that."

"Then let me go in there now and get this over with." Cyrus peered into the hole, then back at his mother and the man who claimed to be his father. "If this is something that I can do, please, let me do it. I've lived my whole life, shuttling from one planet to the next, always on the hunt for Phazon, the one thing that kept me alive. And if I have to die tonight because of that very same thing, then so be it."

"Cyrus, I am astonished by your maturity." Tony reached over and extended his hand to Cyrus, who smiled sheepishly.

"I told you I wasn't a little kid anymore," he said, shaking the Elder's hand. Cyrus turned to his mother.

"Mom. You don't have to worry. Even if you lose me, you've got Dad back again." Cyrus inhaled deeply, drawing as much air into his lungs as he could.

Samus pulled the young man into a tight embrace.

"I'm proud of you, Cy. Know that I will always love you," she whispered into his ear. He smiled and pulled away from her.

Turning to the hole beside their feet, he glanced in it one last time, then threw himself in before he could change his mind.

The fall was short, and he landed on a few large chunks of dirt and rock. Rolling to his feet, he quickly surveyed his surroundings.

Rows of wooden crates crowded the room, forming a small walkway between them. The crates stretched to the right for what seemed like miles and miles. On his left, however, was a small room with a few chairs and what appeared to be a computer. Cyrus looked up and saw his parents standing in the lip of the hole. He gave them a thumbs up sign and proceeded to walk left, into the small room.

The computer screen blipped and Cyrus caught his breath, startled. The computer was connected to a thick pipe which cut through the ceiling with small extending pipe that ran into each of the crates. Flowing through each of these transparent pipes was a purplish liquid.

_Phazon_, Cyrus thought to himself. He walked toward the computer. Small drawings on the screen dictated exactly how the machine worked. It collected the Phazon from the storage crates and transferred it into the computer, which compressed the Phazon into data crystals before transferring it into the Talman, a massive weapon that functioned as a tractor beam. The data crystals would be decompressed back into the liquid state of Phazon and projected through the Talman and into whichever planet the machine designated.

On the side of the computer was a long circuit board, which provided the energy to control the computer and all of its processes. In the center of the circuit board was a large keyhole, next to a sticker which read: ABORT. Cyrus sighed. His mother's decision to completely destroy VEDO had not been the wisest. The only way he would be able to stop the machine would be to interrupt the transference of Phazon into the machine. Although he had originally assumed as much before, the reality of what he was about to do threatened to crush him.

Cyrus sucked in a breath and reached for the pipe above him. With all of his strength he tugged at it, but it wouldn't budge. He pulled and pulled, lifting his body as he did so. There was no use. He was simply not strong enough. Cyrus stepped away from the computer. Suddenly, he remembered. Digging into his pockets, he retrieved the small tube like capsule that his father had given him earlier. He closed his eyes and squeezed, feeling the smooth surface transform into the ridged surface of the broadsword's hilt. Cyrus grinned and swung the sword above his head in celebration.

The blade made contact with a glorious _crack_! Cyrus jumped and jabbed the pipe, ten, fifteen times before a crack appeared. Encouraged, he continued to jab and slice, hack and stab until a small hole appeared in the pipe. A steady stream of Phazon began to flow out of the pipe and onto the computer. Cyrus jumped onto the computer and attempted to widen the rupture in the pipe while raw Phazon rained down on him. He glanced at the computer. Phazon compression had halted to a mere 67%. This was good news.

With one final swing, the pipe burst open and began to dump gallons of Phazon onto Cyrus's head. He shut his eyes tightly and covered his nose and mouth with both hands. There was no use drowning in the liquid before it had the chance to kill him. However, instead of falling into his face, the Phazon absorbed directly into his head, filling his body with a burning sensation.

"Ah!" he screamed as the pain coursed through his body. He could feel his toes start to grow numb, and as the feeling spread throughout his body, he began to panic. His breathing grew sparse and his pulse quickened. If only he hadn't thought of such a dangerous plan. There had to be another way, a safer way to stop this from happening.

Cyrus forced his eyes open and turned to the computer.

Phazon compression had decreased to only 29%. It was getting there. He just needed to get it to zero, and then he could stop.

_Just need to get it to zero_.

His mind drifted to his parents. They would be fine, now that they had each other. Cyrus would absorb all of the Phazon, it would stop the Talman from destroying the galaxy, and they would go on to live full lives. His mother and father would be able to see each other in a new light, and they would be able to love each other again. That is why he had done this, even though he knew his mother or Tony would have eventually stumbled upon the idea themselves. Cyrus had seen his mother unhappy and broken for far too long. He had only just gotten to know the Elder, but what he knew of his father showed him to be a great man. Both of his parents had struggled with death, and in the end, they emerged victorious. If he was lucky, his own struggle with death would merit the same result.

Suddenly, his torso grew hot, and he screamed in pain. From the distance, Cyrus saw a dark shadow draw near to him. He could feel the darkness pulling at his mind, begging him to give up. _Just give in_, it seemed to say. _Just give in and you will find rest_. He wanted to, so badly. He wanted to let the darkness take him away. It was too much pain to stay awake. Even though his legs, feet, arms, and hands had grown numb, he could still feel the searing pain, and the smell of burning flesh reaching his nose. He was dying, this much he knew, and there was nothing he could do about it.

Cyrus closed his eyes, embracing the darkness. It gently caressed his mind, bringing peace and comfort, but most importantly, rest. He could not feel the pain anymore. The dark had threatened to take him, and now it had done just that.

He sighed deeply and surrendered himself to the dark.


End file.
